Promises
by Tressimir
Summary: Naoto Shirogane's life has reached a turning point. On the day of her high school graduation, she waits for her beloved to return to Inaba. But a shadow of the past is set to appear, and a promise long forgotten is about to take center stage... YuNao, sequel to Persona 4 Golden. Reviews and feedback welcome, and enjoy.
1. Past Regrets

**Author's Note:** Sorry it's been so long since my last fanfic, I've been supremely uninspired recently. My skills may have rusted from disuse, but please enjoy the beginning of a new tale regardless! And remember, reviews are always welcome! Also, traditional copyright stuff: I do not own Persona 4, any characters featured therein, yada yada yada. You've all read this a million times, so I'm not laying out the whole legal document.

Naoto Shirogane looked in the mirror, fixing her hair and slipping her school coat over her shoulders. She'd waited a long time for this day, for more than one reason – not only was it the day of her high school graduation, but she knew she would get to see him again. Pleasant memories filtered into her mind as she recalled all the good time she'd had with her beloved, from the time he led the Investigation Team into the Midnight Channel to rescue her, to the day he'd confessed his love for her, to the Christmas Eve and Valentine's Day they'd shared together…

"Not now, Naoto." She murmured to herself. "If you keep thinking about that, you're going to be in no state to attend the ceremony. Remember what Grampa told you… Deep breaths…" Calming her excited mind, the girl detective plucked her favorite hat off her desk and pulled the brim down, checking herself in the mirror one more time. "Alright." She stated, though she was alone in her room, then checked the watch on her wrist. It was 11:30 on the dot, just as she'd planned. Striding out the door and down the stairs, she met two men at the front door with a smile.

"Ready, Nao-chan?" The older of the two asked, his aged face breaking into a smile. Her grandfather had always been a source of strength for her, and one day Naoto hoped to surpass Kazuhiko Shirogane as the preeminent detective of Japan.

Nodding enthusiastically, Naoto answered, "Ready." Kazuhiko and his secretary, Yakushiji, stepped outside and got into the front seats of the classic black car the old man was so proud of. Settling herself in the back, Naoto tried to focus on the ceremony ahead and not her memories of the man she loved.

The drive took less time than expected, as traffic hadn't been as bad as Naoto predicted. As a result, she arrived at the gates of Yasogami High ten minutes earlier than she'd planned and was immediately greeted by a cheerful voice. "Hey, Naoto-kun!"

"Rise-chan, I hadn't expected you to be early." Naoto said with a smile, seeing the idol run up to her. Rise had been one of her closest friends on the Investigation Team, even after Izanami's defeat, and the detective was glad to see her before the ceremony. "But then, I should have assumed you would be excited." Naoto allowed Rise to hug her briefly, glancing around at the other students as they filed inside. "We should get going. It wouldn't do to miss the beginning of the ceremony because we spent too long talking."

Rise nodded and began walking inside with Naoto when a loud voice called to them. "Hey Rise, Naoto, wait up!" Both girls turned to see a young man with a scar on his forehead running toward them, out of breath. "I thought you'd be inside already. Doesn't this thing start in, like, a minute?"

The idol sighed and gave the boy a sympathetic look. "Come on, Kanji. We've still got about ten minutes. I'm more surprised that you of all people came early." She giggled at the look on Kanji's face as he slicked his black hair back, face burning with embarrassment.

"Really? Damn, guess I didn't need to run. My alarm clock went off a half-hour late, so I've been bookin' it this whole time. Guess the damn thing's wiring's screwed up." Regaining his wind, the textile shop heir walked alongside his friends into the school.

"A problem with the wiring? I imagine the cause is more of you pressing the snooze button in your sleep, Kanji-kun." Naoto smiled as she spoke, enjoying the banter. Kanji, like Rise, was a very close friend. He'd been the only one to truly understand the inner turmoil that had spawned her Shadow, and he'd always been there to support her. She was aware that he had a romantic interest in her, but he made sure never to press the issue, out of respect for both her and their former senpai. Mentally berating herself for letting her thoughts slip back to her lover, Naoto hurried inside with her friends and prepared for the ceremony.

For all the excitement it generated, Yasogami's graduation ceremony was relatively underwhelming. The principal and teachers all gave short speeches, followed by the valedictorian and student council president. Naoto had been offered a chance to speak, but declined – she wasn't much for speaking in front of crowds. A simple TV interview was about all the crowd she could manage. After the speeches, each student received their diploma with an almost overbearing amount of pomp and circumstance, and the ceremony was finished with a deafening round of applause from the family and friends of the graduates. Naoto was relieved when she was able to mingle with the crowd, relaxing now that the official business was done.

Her relaxation ended abruptly as a familiar voice cut through the crowd to reach her ears. "Congratulations, Naoto." The girl detective didn't need to see the speaker to recognize that voice – she'd heard it enough times in her dreams that it would never leave her. Turning around, she saw a familiar young man with silver hair striding toward her, wearing a formal blazer and slacks and sporting a grin on his face.

"Y-Yu!" It took al Naoto's self-control to not leap into his arms as he appeared before her. Yu Narukami, her former senpai, her best friend… and the love of her life. "It's been a long time… I've been waiting to see your face again."

Yu gave her a quick hug before pulling back, more for her sake than his own. "You don't seem too surprised." He laughed, eyes locked on hers. "Is there something I don't know?"

"Not really." Naoto noticed the rest of the team gathering, Kanji and Rise having already finished receiving their accolades. "Yosuke-san let the cat out of the bag about two weeks ago. I suppose his excitement overcame his secrecy."

Flinching a little at Yu's dagger glance, Yosuke protested, "Hey, I didn't know she was there! I tried to keep it a secret, partner! Honestly!"

"Well whatever the case, I'm glad to see you again, Naoto." The silverette's eyes sparkled with affection as he gazed at his girlfriend. "You're as beautiful as ever."

Trying to hide the reddening of her face, the young detective muttered, "S-Stop that, you're going to make me blush… Why don't we all go celebrate? Yosuke mentioned buying all of us lunch at Junes."

"Hey! Ugh, why do I always end up buying everyone lunch…?" Yosuke's protests were drowned out by the cheers of the rest of the group, and they hurried to Junes for their celebratory lunch.

Hours passed, and at the end of the party only Yu and Naoto were left. The two sat at the table they'd grown so fond of, the place where all the memories of their adventure came to a head. "It really is nice to see you again, Naoto." Yu said with a small smile. "Your face is always in my head, you know. Makes studying a little difficult when my mind wants to think of the most beautiful girl in the world."

Blushing, Naoto allowed herself to return his smile as she replied, "You should focus more on your studies, Yu. I'm glad you came all this way, but I don't want to distract you even when I'm not there." The girl giggled softly before adding, "Though I've been thinking of you as well. I was so happy when I heard you were coming today, and I'm even happier to see you now."

Without a word, Yu leaned over the table and pressed a soft kiss to Naoto's lips, a kiss she eagerly returned. Just as the two began getting into the rhythm, however, a voice cut through the air. "So this must be the fabled Narukami-senpai…" The lovers broke the kiss hurriedly, glancing to the source of the voice – a young man about Naoto's age, with almost blindingly white hair and a haunted expression. He wore a long coat that almost touched the floor, concealing his thin body with its voluminous capacity. He kept his eyes trained on Naoto, a soulless look in his emerald orbs. "So I see the stories I heard were true."

"Who are you?" Yu asked sternly, rising from his chair in case the stranger made a move. Both he and Naoto felt a sense of unease at the sight of the mysterious youth before them, made all the creepier by his dead expression.

"You haven't forgotten me, have you, Naoto?" The young man stepped forward, unfazed by Yu's hostile gaze. "Perhaps this will jog your memory…" He raised his hand to reveal a ring on his third finger, the sight of which made Naoto gasp.

The young woman was shocked to see that ring again. She knew its wearer, but he'd changed so much since last time she'd seen him. Her voice trembled as she asked, "K-Kazuo, is that you?"

The stranger smiled faintly, though whether it was a happy or sad smile was impossible to tell. "You remembered me. But I see you've forgotten about our promise. Or have you knowingly decided to break it?" The smile disappeared as he slowly walked forward, coming closer and closer to Naoto. "Naoto…"

"It was a childish whim, Kazuo. I had thought you would realize that as you matured, but it seems you're holding onto that relic of the past." Naoto's voice was harder than usual, though a trace of sorrow could be heard in her tone – a sorrow Yu didn't understand.

"Naoto…!" Kazuo's expression turned mournful at her words. "You thought my words were just a game? That my promise didn't mean anything?" His steps grew quicker as he advanced on the detective, pain etched across his features. "I'd understand if being a detective robbed you of your emotion… But you're with him! You sit there kissing him while I suffer and wait for you to acknowledge my feelings! Why, Naoto!?" Kazuo's path was blocked as Yu stood between him and Naoto, the white-haired youth glaring up into the silverette's face. "Move! Move, you thief! Get away from my bride!"

Yu's response was cold and laced with hostility as he said, "Leave now, before you really make me angry. You have no right to speak to Naoto that way."

Kazuo stopped dead, all motion frozen. "So you've given him the right to use your name, Naoto? I'll leave for now, but remember: you are mine. You will marry me, Naoto Shirogane. You promised me, and now it's destiny." Turning on his heel, Kazuo stormed away, head bowed to hide his tears.

"Who is he, Naoto? What did he mean about you marrying him?" Yu's voice was gentle, lacking the anger Naoto had expected. But his stance and bearing betrayed his feelings – his protective feelings toward her, and his anger at anyone who would come between them.

Sighing, the girl detective pulled the brim of her hat down lower and began explaining. "His name is Kazuo Yakushiji, Yakushiji-san's nephew. We were childhood friends, though he moved away when we were five years old. The night before he left, he came to me and gave me a ring to match his, then proposed to me." Her voice was pained, her mind not wanting to recall the memory, especially not to Yu. "I was young and stupid, and didn't even understand what I was saying. I accepted his proposal, then watched the next day as he and his family left. I hadn't yet begun training to be a detective, and when I began that training, I imagined he would find that promise just as pointless as I did. But apparently he's still set on it. He still expects me to marry him."

She gazed up at her lover, tears in her eyes as she met his kind gaze. "You felt it too, didn't you? The hostility that emanated from him… It felt like the Shadows in the Midnight Channel. I'm scared, Yu. He wants to hurt you, I can tell, and I don't know what I can do to stop him."

"Don't worry, Naoto." The silverette replied soothingly. "He isn't a problem. I won't let him have you. I love you, Naoto, and I swear I will protect you." The young lovers gazed into each other's eyes for some time longer, but even when night fell and Naoto returned to the Shirogane estate, her worries never ceased.


	2. Arrival of DarknessDarkside Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This 'Darkside Chapter' thing is something new I'm trying out. Let me know in your reviews if you guys want me to continue or stop doing it.

**Darkside – Kazuo's Blessing**

"That Narukami…" Kazuo seethed, fists clenc hed. He sat in his room at the Amagi Inn, stewing in his rage at the silverette. "Thinking he can steal my Naoto from me. I'll show him." Standing abruptly, the young man made his way to the table in the center of the room. A variety of incenses and candles had been placed there, along with an instruction sheet, and a magic circle had been drawn on the floor. Kazuo had prepared the room after his encounter with Yu and Naoto, following the directions he'd found in a moldy old tome he'd bought years ago at a secondhand store. He'd never been one for the supernatural, but seeing Naoto with another man made Kazuo desperate enough to try anything.

"Hellfire, black water, tainted earth and poisoned wind…" He began intoning, lighting each of the candles and braziers in turn. "Great father of darkness whose shadow seeks to engulf this world, I beseech thy aid." Beginning to trace the pattern of the magic circle with his steps, Kazuo continued his dread incantation. "Grant me the strength to claim that which is my right. Give me the power to destroy that bastard Narukami, and made Naoto my bride at last!" Wheeling around to face the table once more, the white-haired youth's eyes were wild and filled with a manic gaze.

"God of all things man fears, Amatsu-Mikaboshi!"

The room grew darker as the candle flames were snuffed out by an unseen force, the scent of the burning incense growing strong enough to nearly overpower Kazuo's senses. He stood his ground against the chill that pervaded the room, a grin forming on his visage as a haunting voice filled his ears. "Child of man, you seek my aid?"

Kazuo knelt at the edge of the magic circle, triumph in his face. His ritual had worked. "I ask for thy strength, so as to claim my love from one who would steal her away from me."

"And what can you offer me in return, son of man?"

The expression on Kazuo's face became even more twisted as he spoke the irrevocable words. "I offer you the soul of my foe, and myself as a conduit through which you can escape your prison, Lord Mikaboshi. All that matters to me is that Naoto is mine and mine alone; the rest of the world I gladly cede to you."

"You wish to spend eternity with your bride, and offer the rest of the world in exchange. Your bargain pleases me, son of man. I, Amatsu-Mikaboshi, hereby bestow my power upon you. Go forth and claim your bride, blessed of darkness."

The world seemed to twist around Kazuo as the god's voice filled his mind. Darkness clouded his vision, yet somehow he knew it wasn't a threat. Giving in to the shadow, Kazuo collapsed on the floor of his room, his senses leaving him.

It was nearly morning when he awoke, a sensation like electricity coursing through his body. Getting up, he lurched into the restroom, surprised at how easy the motion was, and upon looking in the mirror a smile touched his lips. The emerald eyes he'd possessed before performing his ritual were gone; in their place were eyes black as night, both sclera and pupil, with irises of bloody crimson. The mark of Amatsu-Mikaboshi, and the sign that he was indeed blessed by darkness.

Yu woke up with a start, sweat beading on his brow. He'd been startled awake by a terrible dream, one that he couldn't recall even immediately after waking. He thought he'd seen Shadows, but that was impossible. Izanami was gone; there were no more Shadows. Getting up and dressed, he headed downstairs to see Dojima and Nanako sitting in the living room. "Good morning, Dojima-san, Nanako-chan."

His uncle turned to look at him with a concerned expression, asking, "Are you alright? You don't look well." Dojima had been happy to take Yu in while he was visiting Naoto in Inaba, the bond between them unbreakable. The older man studied his nephew perceptively, trying to gauge what was wrong.

"It's nothing, Uncle. Just a nightmare." Turning to his young cousin, Yu asked, "How'd you sleep, Nanako?"

Smiling up at him, Nanako looked as happy as ever. "I slept good, big bro! There's some toast in the toaster for you, and Dad made you some coffee!"

Grinning, the detective nodded and said, "Black, just how you like it. I'm sure you'll feel refreshed after you eat."

Nodding thanks to the both of them, Yu waited for the toast to finish and ate quickly, letting the caffeine in the coffee wake him up. A sense of unease hung in the back of his mind; that hadn't seemed like an ordinary nightmare. It was too vivid, too real to be just a figment of his imagination, and on top of that he'd never dreamed of Shadows before. Something felt wrong about it, and he wanted to go over it with his friends.

After saying goodbye to Dojima and Nanako, Yu left the house and got on his scooter, kicking it into gear and heading for Junes. On the way there, however, he saw another motorcyclist coming down the road toward him. Immediately recognizing who it was, Yu pulled over and called, "Hey, Naoto!"

The girl detective slowed to a halt beside him, her face pale. "Yu, I'm glad you're here. There's something I wanted to tell you about." Upon seeing his love's face, Yu had a hunch that he couldn't help but vocalize.

"The dream about the Shadows?"

Naoto blinked with surprise, finally finding the words, "H-How did you know?"

The silverette looked serious as he got off his motorcycle, leaning against it as he studied Naoto's pale face. "I had it too. Everything was blurry except the Shadows, and this overwhelming feeling of malice."

Casting her gaze downward, Naoto nodded. "Mine was almost identical, save one point. I felt no malice in the dream, but rather an extreme sense of lust, as if something were intending to chase me to the ends of the earth. It was… disconcerting." Lifting her head to meet her love's gaze, the young woman asked, "Do you think it has something to do with Kazuo? He emanated the same aura of malice you felt, correct?"

"I can't deny it. But I don't see how he could be a threat, or how he could control our dreams. More than likely our encounter with him was so bizarre it decided to stick around in our subconscious." Yu thought for a moment, but was interrupted by a change in the sky above. It was as if the sun was blotted out, leaving the sky a mass of pure black – an extremely disconcerting sensation.

"Y-Yu, look!" Naoto pointed off into the distance, and when Yu followed her gesture, he saw that the darkness had expanded downward, almost as if…

"It's formed a dome around Inaba." The silverette commented to himself. "More than likely, it'll act as the fog did before we defeated Ameno-sagiri and Izanami. But this was so sudden… Does this mean Inaba is cut off from the outside world?" Before Naoto could answer, Yu's cell phone rang and he quickly picked it up. "Yosuke, what is it?"

Yosuke's voice sounded panicked from the other end of the line. "This is really bad, partner! There are Shadows in Inaba! I just saw one of those mouth things – think Teddie called 'em Hableries or something – come out of the darkness by Yasoinaba Station! Chie and I are here right now, and we can use our Personas, but if a bunch of Shadows start swarming in then we're in trouble!"

"Understood. I'm with Naoto right now, so we'll start patrolling the town in case there are any more. This day's getting really weird, really fast." Flicking his phone closed, Yu looked to Naoto, whose face was chalk white.

"Shadows?" The girl detective asked, receiving a nod in return. "This can't be a coincidence. You're right; we should look for any others that may have wandered into Inaba." Pulling her hat off for a moment, Naoto removed a hairpin she had hidden beneath it, allowing a curtain of navy blue hair to fall around her shoulders. Seeing Yu's surprise, she donned her hat again and smiled. "I remember you complimenting Rise on her hair when you visited the summer after we defeated Izanami, so I decided to grow it out. Do you like it?"

Yu smiled and hugged Naoto briefly, answering, "Have I ever mentioned you're beautiful?" She returned the hug with a blush forming on her cheeks, then the two of them hopped back onto their scooters and began heading for the heavily-populated areas of town, intent of searching for Shadows.


	3. Status Update

I apologize to everyone who was looking forward to the next chapter of this story, but Promises will be on an indefinite hiatus. I've lost all inspiration to continue for the moment, and I've had absolutely no new ideas since Chapter 2 went up. Once again, I'm sorry that this had to happen, but writing when I'm not inspired tends to result in very low-quality work. However, I do have ideas for possible other projects floating around my head, so don't count me out yet. Another main project may soon be in the works, and in the meantime I'll try to at least get some oneshots out for those who enjoy my work. Also, those of you who like my more... citrus-flavored work (Fortune is a Woman, another YuNao story) may be pleased to know I have an idea for more of that type of story in mind.

This has been Tressimir with your status report, and my heartfelt apologies for the disappointing performance.


End file.
